Vacuum cleaneb



J.VJ. MERITHEW.

VACUUM CLEANER.

APPLICAHON FILED FEB-24.1919.

1,41 ,9 7, Pzitented May2, 1922..

3 SHEEITFSHEEI' I.

fqi J. J. MERITHEW.

VACUUM CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB- 24. l 9l9.

1,414,967. Patented May 2, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEEI 2.

' 4 I Inv n Wyn Ja -My- J. J. MERITHEW.

VACUUM CLEANER.

APPLICMION men FEB- 24. m9.

Patented May 2, 1922. v 3 SHEETS-SHEET 719- Ina-entol Jttorney.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFKQE.

JERRY J. MEBITHEW, F AKRON, OHIO.

VACUUM CLEANER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented liylay 2, 1922 Application filed February 24, 1919. Serial No. 278,951.

- Improvement in Vacuum Cleaners, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to vacuum cleaners, and has for one of its objects to provide the intake nozzle of a machine of this kind with a brush which may be readily removed for cleaning and which is so mounted that it may also be adjusted at various levels with respect to the floor so as to meet the requirements of different surfaces to be cleaned.

Another object is to provide a dust-proof casing for the motor, thus simplifying the problem of lubrication and increasing the efficiency of the motor. A further object is to produce a simplified form of mechanical motor which derives its power from the wheels on which the cleaner is supported and which when given a starting impulse by said wheels will run for a considerable time after the wheels have come to rest, thus enabling the fan driven by said motor to develop practically the same degree of suction as an electric or other power driven motor.

The invention will be first hereinafter described in connection with the accompanying drawings, which constitute partof this specification, and then more specifically defined in the claim at the end of the descrip tion.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein similar reference characters are used to designate corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a vacuum cleaner constructed substantially in accordance with this invention, parts of the handle and dust bag being broken away.

Figure 2 is a central vertical section taken through the device in line with the handle.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the motor with the top portion of the casing removed, and showing the fan shaft hearings in section.

Figure 4 is a section through the motor on the line IVIV of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a transverse section through the intake nozzle and brush, showing the latter disengaged or removed from said nozzle,- as when said brush is to be cleaned.

Figure 6 is an under plan of the intake nozzle with the brush in operative position therein.

Figure 7 is a similar view showing the brush removed, and swung out entirely to one side.

Figure 8 is a section on the line VIII VIII of Figure 1, and

Figure 9 is a broken section on the line IX-IX of Figure 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, l designates the nozzle, 2 the fan casing, and 3 the motor or gear casing. The fan casing is arranged in vertical position and has the motor casing and nozzle con-- neeted axially thereto at opposite sides. The cleaner is supported on a pair of wheels 1 attached to-the motor casing, and a second pair of wheels 5 mounted on the nozzle. The machine may be propelled along the surface to be cleaned by means of a handle 6 suitably attached to the motor casing, as by the arms 7. A strut 70 may be carried by the handle to engage a projecting lug 71 on the rear of the casing 3 for raising the nozzle of the sweeper from the floor by pressing down on the handle when said strut is engaged with said lug as shown in Fig. 2. The fan casing has the usual offset passage 8 leading to the dust bag 9. Said bag and the handle are broken away, but it will be understood that each of them may be of such length as maybe deemed necessary or desirable.

lVithin the nozzle 1 is arranged a rotary brush 10 for loosening the dirt from the surface to be cleaned and thereby making the cleaner more efficient. Said brush is secured on a shaft 11 the ends of which extend out through slots 12 in the ends of the nozzle and carry gears 13, Fig. 9, arranged in mesh with other gears 14L on the shafts of the wheels 5. Said gears 13 and 14.- are inclosed in casings 15 at each end of the nozzle. The shaft 11 of the brush is journaled in arms 16, one of which is pivotally connected at 17 to each end of the nozzle near the front wall thereof and which have bent free end portions 18 fitted with set screws 19 adapted to engage sockets 20 in the rear wall of the nozzle for securing the brush in operative position in the nozzle, as shown in Figures 2, 5 and 9. When the set screws 19 are disengaged from the sockets 20, the brush may at different distances from the surface to becleaned. These adjustments are maintained by a cross rod 21 connecting the gear casings 15 and having a tooth 22 adapted to engage any one of the series of holes 23 in a resilient plate 24 depending from the base orlower portion of the nozzle between the mouth of said nozzle and its connection withv the fan casing. The holes 23 being arranged one above another in said plate 24, it will be seen that the wheels 5 may be caused to protrude farther below the mouth of the nozzle by engaging the teeth 22 with one of the lower holes 23, thus raising the brush and mouth of the nozzle away from the floor or surface to be cleaned, whichis desirable for high pile fabrics or carpets, and that when said tooth is engaged with the upper ones of the holes 23, the mouth of the nozzle will be brought down nearer to the surface to be cleaned, which is preferable for'smooth or short ile floor coverings.

Whllfl any suitable motor may be used with the nozzle and brush described, I have illustrated a motor to be operated by the ro tation of the wheels 4 as the machine is pushed along. As illustrated in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, this motor comprises a ratchet disk 25 fast on the shaft 26 which carries the wheels 4, a gear'27 loose on. said shaft and having an enlargement 28 at one side -serving as a fly wheel and with which the ratchet disk has any suitable form of ratchet con nection whereby the gear 27 will be given an impulse when. the wheels 4 are rotated by a forward movement of the machine, and said wheel may continue under this impulse after the wheels 4' have come to rest or while they are being rotated in the reverse direction, as when the machine is moved rearward.

The shaft 26 is journaled in a frame 29 which is secured to the fan casing by screws 30 so as to constitute a dust proof cover for the axial opening 31 in the fan casing. Said frame 29 has'lateral arms 31; for supporting the gearing, and a tubular central portion 32 in which dust-proof ball bearings are arr-an ed for the shaft 34 carrying the fan 35. g beveled pinion 36 is mounted on said shaft 34 and meshes with a beveled pinion 37 on a counter shaft 38 journaled in and extending between the arms 31 and also. carrying a gear 39 which meshes with a gear 40 on another counter shaft 41 also journaled between the arms 31 and in turn carrying another gear 42 which meshes with the gear 27; By means of this train of gears the impulse given said gear 27 by the forward movement of the wheels 4 is communicated to the fan. shaft and the fan is caused to revolve for creating the suction through the nozzle which is necessary for drawing the dirt out of a floor covering and depositing said dirt in the dust bag.

The casing 3 for the motor or gearing is preferably madein two pieces 43 and 44 which meet along the horizontal planeof the axis ofthe shaft 26 and are suitably fastened together to make a dust-proof and oil-tight joint. Said casing is also fastened to the fan casing 2 by screws 45 to form a dust-proof and oil-tight joint at that point so that all dust is excluded from the gear or motor casing, and oil may be retained therein for lubricating the gearing. The lubricant may be introduced into said casing through an opening 46, Fig. 4, in the top of the upper section 44 of the casing 3, said opening being normally closed by a screw plug 47.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In a vacuum cleaner, the combination of a vertically disposed fan casing, a frame secured onthe rear side of said casing and comprising a tubular portion projecting rearwardly from the fan casing and arms extending parallel with said tubular portion at opposite sides of the same, a fan shaft journaled in bearings at the front and rear ends of said tubular portion of the frame, a motor casing secured to and projecting rearwardly from the fan casing and enclosing said frame, a shaft extending transversely through said. casing and the arms of said frame, driving and supporting wheels secured on the ends of said shaft laterally beyond the sides of the casing, and gearing within the casing and disposed between the arms of the frame to operatively connect said shaft with the fan. shaft.

JERRY J. MERITIl'IElV. 

